Mystic Falls will be crawling with new faces at the beginning of season 6, so fans better take the time to swot up now so they know who's who on the scene!

After casting Gabrielle Walsh as 'shady' Sarah and Colin Ferguson as 'strong' Tripp, yet another character has been thrown into the bubbling Mystic Falls cauldron.

Presenting Emily C. Chang (pictured above) who play the sweet and sincere Ivy. With credits for movies such as Total Recall under her belt along with roles on TV shows such as How I Met Your Mother , Chang is no novice in the industry.

Which can only be a good thing seeing as her character will also have an 'unexpected' side to her...

The only information the production team have released about Ivy so far is that she is;

the quintessential girl next door with an unexpected wild side

With all of these new character rolling in, and some of our old favourites still marooned in another dimension, Season 6 is sure to have a totally different feel to it - which is exactly what executive producer Julia Plec promised.

After the season five finale, Plec told fans that;

The way we look at it, season six is a beautiful and organic reset. The theme of the season is everybody gets to start over. That's what we're going to do. We're trying to take the show away from the massive genre extravaganza where each season we try to top each other with the bigger, bad, more exciting mythologies and boil it back down to the beginning

If they can recapture the excitement of the first couple of season of The Vampire Diaries then I'm all for it. Bring on the newbies!

The Vampire Diaries is adding a new character who may not be who she seems.

On the heels of Eureka star Colin Ferguson joining the sixth season, The CW drama will be introducing the recurring character of Ivy, described as sweet and sincere. Actress Emily C. Chang, whose credits include Days of Our Lives and Total Recall, has booked the role.

Not much is known about Ivy, only that she's "the quintessential girl next door with an unexpected wild side" — but knowing Vampire Diaries, the tide will turn sooner rather than later. She will first appear in the sixth-season premiere.

Following the May finale, Plec told The Hollywood Reporter that she was approaching the new season like a restart. "The way we look at it, season six is a beautiful and organic reset. The theme of the season is everybody gets to start over. That's what we're going to do," she said at the time.

"We're trying to take the show away from the massive genre extravaganza where each season we try to top each other with the bigger, bad, more exciting mythologies and boil it back down to the beginning," Plec promised.

On the heels of Eureka star Colin Ferguson joining the sixth season, The CW drama will be introducing the recurring character of Ivy, described as sweet and sincere. Actress Emily C. Chang, whose credits include Days of Our Lives and Total Recall, has booked the role.

Not much is known about Ivy, only that she's "the quintessential girl next door with an unexpected wild side" — but knowing Vampire Diaries, the tide will turn sooner rather than later. She will first appear in the sixth-season premiere.

Following the May finale, Plec told The Hollywood Reporter that she was approaching the new season like a restart. "The way we look at it, season six is a beautiful and organic reset. The theme of the season is everybody gets to start over. That's what we're going to do," she said at the time.

"We're trying to take the show away from the massive genre extravaganza where each season we try to top each other with the bigger, bad, more exciting mythologies and boil it back down to the beginning," Plec promised.

Season six will return Matt Davis and fan favorite Michael Malarkey as series regulars.

Chang, who guest starred on Community, How I Met Your Mother, Bones and NCIS, is repped by Sovereign Talent Group and Velocity Entertainment. The Vampire Diaries premieres Oct. 2 on The CW.

You would have thought that Elena's mind would be elsewhere after the devastating death of Damon, but this strong-willed little lady will be heading back to college in season 6!

Elena might be heading back to Whitmore College, but just how willingly is up for debate. After all, as a vampire, she really doesn't have many places left to call home...

The anti-supernatural magic cast over Mystic Falls by Markos and the Travelers prevents Elena being able to set foot in her old town, but would she really want to go back after the loss of her true love and best friend?

But, what will her major be? According to The Vampire Diaries executive producer, Julie Plec, Elena is set to follow in her fathers footsteps and study pre-med. Plec explained that;

She’s a smart girl, and Elena’s father was a doctor, so she’s trying to figure out how to help people and save people, just as her family did

Hearing about Elena's new focus helps to give the surge of new med school based characters some context.

I hate to say this, but maybe Marco Jame's new character Liam might be offering Elena a little bit of 'comfort' in light of her past tragedies? I mean, a hunk like that can't just be laying around single for long!

The Vampire Diaries returns for it’s sixth season on Thursday, October 2nd at 8 p.m. on The CW and I for one can’t wait. Actress Nina Dobrev and executive producer Julie Plec gave E! Online a little scoop on what we will be seeing once the show returns. They talk about Damon and Bonnie’s little “predicament” and how Elena is handling losing her man and best friend in one swoop!

The Vampire Diaries - Season sechsFirst Look at Alaric's new love interest

When it comes to Alaric Saltzman, a few things are well-known. He hasn’t had the best luck with relationships. He’s had even worse luck with magical rings. Oh, and he’s back from the dead and getting ready to experience being an Original vampire (minus all the hunter qualities) for the first time.

So when we catch up with The Vampire Diaries, where will Alaric be? Well, he won’t be in Mystic Falls, considering that entering the town would enact a spell that would kill him. Instead, it sounds like Alaric gets back into the teaching game and compels himself a job as a professor. And knowing Alaric, it won’t be long before he finds a lady love—something that executive producer Julie Plec teased at Comic-Con.

EW has an exclusive look at Hit the Floor‘s Jodi Lyn O’Keefe in the season-six premiere. O’Keefe is playing Jo, a doctor at the university hospital who’s been described as “tough.” Could this be Alaric’s next girlfriend? Hey, if Elena’s pre-med, she’ll probably approve.

FRESH STARTS AND SECOND CHANCES After spending the past four months coping with the loss of Damon (Ian Somerhalder) in an unconventional and potentially dangerous way, Elena (Nina Dobrev) has returned to Whitmore College for the start of sophomore year. Unable to move on, Caroline (Candice Accola) is desperate to find a way to reverse the anti-magic spell the Travelers have put over Mystic Falls and grows frustrated when her calls to Stefan (Paul Wesley) go unanswered. Tyler (Michael Trevino), who is human once again, has a run-in at a football tailgate that tests his ability to control his anger, while Matt (Zach Roerig) worries that Jeremy (Steven R. McQueen) is dealing with the loss of Bonnie (Kat Graham) in a self-destructive way. Alaric (Matt Davis), who is struggling to adjust to his new life as a vampire, finds himself in an awkward situation when he meets Jo (guest star Jodi Lyn O’Keefe), a beautiful doctor at the university hospital. Last, while everyone believes Stefan is off tracking a lead to get Damon and Bonnie back, Elena is shocked when she learns the truth of what he has really been up to.